In-Depth Review: HD’s Speed All-in-One Polish/Wax (2019)

How this polish/wax stacks up against the rest.

TheDrive and its partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links. Read more.

There are a lot of car care products and supplies that promise an all-in-one approach, combining several important steps in the car-care process into one easy and quick process. It’s easy to be skeptical of this approach. At best, these products offer jack-of-all-trades results that are just okay. At worst, you’ve wasted money on something that only delivered false hope and promises.

The HD Speed All in One Polish/Wax is one such product that promises to do it all: get the final steps of the average detailing process done all at once. It's a liquid wax. It's a synthetic wax. It's a do-it-all wax. On the bottle, the car wax promises to shine up your vehicle and seal the paint at the same time. Does it deliver? Mostly.

Results are about what you’d expect with a do-it-all cleaning product: The protective layer is good, but it won’t last as long as other options. You should expect some great looking results right after application, however.

Pros

Pros

Quick and easy application by hand or by tool.

A great amount of high-gloss shine that creates a new-car look.

Decent wax protection for the car's paint, especially water beading and UV-ray protection under direct sunlight.

Cons

Cons

Little-to-none surface correction results/minor scratch removal.

Short wax layer lifespan compared to the best car waxes like traditional carnauba wax.

Overall Design

Automotive companies have a habit of promising a lot in their marketing materials. In this case, HD is no exception, but the company has earned somewhat of a reputation with car dealerships and auto body shops. So, if there is any company that can deliver paint/swirl correction, a good shine, scratch removal, and a wax sealant, why not this one?

This liquid type of wax comes in two bottle sizes: 16 and 32 ounces. Depending on the size of your car, these sizes can be just enough or plentiful enough to leave some extra for the next time. The shape of the bottle is designed to be squeezed so you can control the distribution of the polish/wax through the pointed nozzle onto a pad.

Coming out in a purple color, the solution can be applied with a dual-action random orbital polisher, rotary buffer, or by hand. While normal speeds are possible on an orbital polisher, the company recommends keeping the speeds on a rotary buffer low, around 800-1000 RPM. In theory, the polish/wax can also go onto a variety of automotive surfaces, including plastic, metal, and glass.

As a part of the company’s “3D Professional Detailing Products” lineup, the polish/wax promises to correct the paint, remove light scratches, and seal everything in; all in one step. If everything works, you should be able to apply a few drops onto a pad, rub it into the finish, and then wipe off what remains with a microfiber towel without having to do anything else.

Use

Right off the bat, the good news is the polish/wax delivers on the convenience promise. It’s easy to cover a 1 or 2 square-foot section of a vehicle with just three or four drops of the polish/wax on the pad. While not as convenient as a spray wax, this one does have most paste waxes beat. Both bottle sizes are large and comfortable to hold/squeeze repeatedly so the hand doesn’t get tired after some time.

When using a rotary buffer or orbital polisher, you do have to pay attention to the speed of the power tool to get the best results. In fact, different speeds are required at different points in the application process. Low settings are preferable when spreading the polish/wax onto the surface. You can then ramp up to medium speeds to polish the surface with the occasional burst of high speed for noticeable swirls or scratches.

Results

While the application is as advertised, the results are more mixed. Like other all-in-one solutions, HD’s Speed All in One Polish/Wax has some highs and lows in terms of the individual polish and waxing results.

As a polish, this product excels at leaving a nice shine on the vehicle’s paint job. It’s formulated to leave a UV-protection coat and a high gloss, especially on dark or black cars where the deep shine really pops with a near-wet look on the paint finish. For the most part, the polish also dries and wipes off without leaving any noticeable powders or residues behind on the surface.

Unfortunately, there is a lot to be desired when it comes to paint and scratch correction. The results partly depend on the application process (hand vs. tool), but the best improvements are only somewhat noticeable. There isn’t much in terms of paint correction, and more specialized solutions will be required if this is your main aim. For scratches, it will help some of the lightest scratches fade away, especially at high RPMs on an orbital buffer, but it doesn’t work magic.

On the waxing front, the resulting protective coat is decent. It’s not as likely to last as long as wax-only products, but it does offer some basic sealant protection. The water beading, in particular, is quite noticeable in light rain. The average lifespan of a wax coat, however, is around a month or two.

Final Takeaway

The HD Speed All in One Polish/Wax is definitely a high-quality, jack-of-all-trades product that doesn’t excel in all areas or win the title for "ultimate liquid wax," but it does enough in the ease-of-use department to be a good option for quick detailing. The only major letdown is with the surface correction capabilities that HD advertises. This polish/wax simply doesn’t provide the same results as more dedicated options.

As a solution for getting a good shine and wax layer onto your vehicle, the polish/wax does deliver. Don’t expect absolute perfection, but if you are in a pinch, HD’s polish/wax delivers where it counts: on the speed.

Final Verdict: The HD Speed All in One Polish/Wax is a great option for quick, efficient automotive detailing when you aren’t searching for the ultimate shine, surface correction, or paint sealant after a car wash.